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Getting a puppy is always an exciting time and you will hopefully be fully equipped with all the necessary accessories to make your new addition feel welcome and happy in your home. It’s important to get your puppy’s health checked by your vet as soon as you can. Hopefully you will have found a great breeder or adoption centre and your puppy is in top form but a puppy health check is still essential. The first year of life is really important for making sure your puppy is set up to become a healthy, happy adult, so you want to make sure you have all the right advice. In this article we’ll look at what to expect in those first few visits and how you can help them go as smoothly as possible.
Choosing your vet
If you’ve had pets before you may well have a vet clinic that you love and trust already, but if not, how do you find a vet who's right for you? Recommendations from family and friends can be helpful but, in the absence of those, you'll need to trust your instincts. Do the staff seem friendly, knowledgeable and helpful? Is the surgery convenient for you to get to and does it have good provision if your puppy happens to be unwell outside of surgery hours? You should also find out whether the surgery specialises in certain areas, or if your vet will be able to refer your pet to a specialist if needed. Look for signs of extra care such as separate areas for cats and dogs in the waiting room and hospital.
Your first puppy health check
Your first visit to the vet may be quite stressful for your puppy. They may have to travel by car, come across new people and new smells and put up with a certain amount of necessary poking and prodding. You can help in a number of ways. The first and most important is to be calm in yourself. The more agitated you are, the more your dog will pick up on it and become agitated themselves. Next, make sure your puppy is safely restrained in the car either by using a travel crate or a puppy harness and a seatbelt. It's also a good idea to pack some toys and treats to reward your puppy for good behaviour. That way they'll see that going to the vet isn't all bad! You could even consider a trip to the practice before the big day. A little trip to the waiting room and a few treats along the way will start off positive associations for both of you.
At this first visit your puppy is likely to be 8-10 weeks of age and your vet team will want to discuss a number of things as well as perform a physical exam. Here is what to expect;
Physical exam and weight check. Your vet will give your puppy a complete head to tail exam. This is important to check how well nourished they are, if they have any congenital problems such as umbilical hernias or heart defects or other issues such as fleas. Regular weight checks throughout life are really useful to spot obesity or weight loss but during growth they are absolutely essential. Keeping puppies slim helps ensure a slim adult dog but monitoring growth is also important because you want to be sure your dog isn’t growing too fast or too slow. This is particularly important for large breed puppies that will be over 25 kg as adults. Your vet or vet nurse may give you a growth chart or just plot growth on their computer for you.
Vaccinations. Vaccinating your puppy against life-threatening diseases is essential and one of the most important things you can do to keep them healthy. Vaccines evolve over time and so guidelines do change. Your puppy’s vaccination schedule will also vary depending on where you live. The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) produces regular, comprehensive vaccination guidelines that may help you know what to expect.
Your puppy may have had one or more vaccines already while with the breeder so make sure you know this. If they did, the breeder should have given you a certificate signed and stamped by the vet that did them. Your vet can then see what, if any, other vaccines your puppy needs.
To maintain protection, annual booster shots must be given, though some are only required every other year. Your vet will advise you on this, again depending on what diseases are prevalent in your country or region.
Worming. There are two types of worms that could infect your puppy: roundworms and tapeworms, you'll need to start treating against these as soon as possible. Your vet will advise you on a regular worming programme. Because some worms can also infect people, it is important that you stick to the worming regime recommended by your vet. Puppies can pick up some worms from their mother through the uterus (womb) and also in their milk so all puppies should be wormed, whether you see any signs of worms or not.
Fleas If your puppy's harbouring unwanted visitors, they'll probably scratch a lot. You may also notice flea dirt in their coat when grooming. You're unlikely to see the actual fleas, which are red-brown about 2-3 mm long, as they move very fast and spend most of their time in your soft furnishings.
If you think your puppy does have fleas, seek advice on treatments from your vet. Modern flea preparations are very effective and you should be able to get rid of the fleas pretty quickly. You may also need to treat your home, your vet can provide you with a suitable spray or powder.
Ticks are blood-sucking parasites that are common in heathland and warmer areas. They wait on vegetation and climb onto pets as they wander past. They then crawl through the fur and attach themselves by burying their mouthparts into the skin, most commonly on the head and ears. Depending on the stage of life the tick is at, they can be very difficult to spot. Most often when they are noticeable, they are large, adult ticks and are fully engorged with blood and therefore easier to see. Ticks can spread some serious diseases so ask your vet about prevention and how to spot them.
Pet insurance. You may decide to take out Pet Insurance for your new puppy. That way, at least you won't have the additional stress of worrying about big bills for treatment.
Bear in mind that most pet insurance won't cover routine healthcare . It is also important to do your homework as policies and prices vary widely. Don't sign anything until you've read the small print. Ask your vet what companies they recommend. Paying a little extra can make all the difference to what is covered.
Microchipping. A microchip is a tiny device that can be implanted under your puppy's neck skin. This is a relatively pain-free procedure; it's just like receiving a vaccination injection. The chip carries a unique number which is registered on a central database. If your puppy ever goes missing, they can then be traced back to you. You will have to pay for this, but it's well worth the investment. In many countries, microchipping is obligatory by law. Ask your vet for more details.
Socialisation, habituation and behaviour advice. The early weeks and months of a puppy’s life are when they learn how to cope with the world around them. Socialisation is how a puppy learns to behave and communicate with other animals and humans. Habituation is how a puppy learns to be comfortable and unafraid of things in its life, like traffic and loud noises and household appliances. The crucial period for this to happen starts as young as 4 weeks of age and can carry on for varying amounts of time depending on breed and size but the first weeks and months are most important. It’s a much shorter period than in humans.
The way this is done is critical. It all needs to be done in as positive a way as possible or you can easily do the exact opposite of what you are trying to achieve. Ask your vet for advice about the best way to do this. They may also offer puppy ‘parties’ or classes where you and your puppy can meet other people and their puppies in a safe environment.
Neutering. Your vet will discuss neutering at this check. Neutering policies vary widely between countries and also breeds of dog. Your vet will advice you about whether neutering is recommended and if so, at what age your individual dog should be neutered. This is usually between 4 and 12 months.
Nutrition. Nutrition during growth is critical for development of healthy bones, joints and organs such as the brain, heart and eyes. Talk to your vet about what puppy food is the best for your individual dog. If you are changing away from what the breeder was feeding, be sure to transition over 5-7 days or as recommended by your vet. This will help avoid stomach upsets at a sudden change and help your puppy get used to the new food gradually.
Puppy health checks in the first year - what to expect.
There may be minor differences in how often your vet team wants to see your puppy but in general here is a schedule of what to expect in your puppy’s first year of life.
All year long weight checks. It’s a good idea to weigh your puppy every 2 weeks for the first 3-4 months if you can. Dropping into the vet to be weighed and have a treat from one of the staff is a great way to build positive associations with going to the vet’s and also monitor growth. Monthly checks until they are fully grown is ideal. Throughout life, weighing your dog every few months is a great idea.
4-6 months. At 4-6 months of age, your puppy may well be neutered, also called spaying, castration and sterilisation. Early neutering of bitches reduces the risk of mammary tumours later in life and neutering in general can have many health benefits for both sexes. Your vet will advise you about what to expect and how long the recovery will be. Depending on your dog’s demeanour and breed, they may recommend delaying neutering until they are older. At this time, depending on where you live your dog may need a top up booster vaccination. Your vet will also check your parasite control at this time and do another physical exam.
9 months. If your dog has been neutered your vet may want to do more than a weight check at 9 months to see if they are getting too fat. They may advise a change in food or a change in rations at this time.
One year. At a year of age most small and medium-sized dogs are adult and can start to be treated as such. Large and giant breeds take longer to mature and may not be considered adult until 18-24 months. Ask your vet about when to change to adult food for your individual dog. At one year of age they will have their booster vaccinations.
It may seem like a daunting time but being prepared and knowing what to expect will get you, your puppy and your family off to a flying start. As always, if you are ever concerned that something isn’t quite right, just ask your vet. That’s why we are here and it’s always better to be safe than sorry. There’s no such thing as a silly question when it comes to puppy health!
Reviewed by Dr Hein Meyer, DVM, PhD, Dipl-ECVIM-CA and Dr Emma Milne BVSc FRCVS.
